Ten years ago, the College of Military Engineering (CME) began creating four man-made lakes on their 2,600-acre campus. Today these lakes have become a natural ecosystem for a variety of birds.

Reed beds in the upper lakes organically filter and cleanse domestic sewage; the CME has also earmarked zones for commercial fishing. These measures have helped turn these lakes into a habitat for birds. “The decaying organic matter of the lakes and the fish has become the perfect feed for birds,” said Col Ashwin Baindur, the resident ornithologist for the CME. Resident birds include the spotbills, cormorants, grey herons, purple herons, purple swamp hens, spoon bills as also painted storks, labelled an endangered species across the world because of the gradual erosion of wetlands.

The CME is only one of the defence institutions in Pune to have protected water bodies, considered safe havens for birds. Others include the National Defence Academy and the Bombay Engineering Group. The NDA with its deep lakes is a natural habitat for diving ducks, ornithologists say. “Unlike traditional bird reserves like Mula Mutha and Pashan lakes, which have turned unsafe for birds because of rampant development, defence areas offer them shelter,” said Baindur.

It was in the 1970s that Salim Ali, renowned ornithologist, visited Mula Mutha, known at that time as a paradise for birdwatchers, said Dr Satish Pande, an ornithologist who has written over 20 books on the subject. “Now, it is polluted; there is open defecation and birds are being trapped,” he said. “If there is protection, one will find birds. Telco Lake in Pimpri and Katraj Lake, both non-defence but protected, are allowing a variety of birds to thrive,” said Pande.

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